Gainsborough Trinity, a team that had never been promoted nor relegated in their existence, since 1873, made the news this week when they were beaten 3-2 by AFC Telford having been 2-0 up, in a vital National League North match. Vital points lost, meant that Trinity were finally relegated to the Northern Premier League. Previously their movement between leagues and divisions had been due to official "rearrangements"!The club is one of the "River Trent" clubs and has played at Northolme, a cricket ground originally, since 1884. With a town population of only 22,000, Gainsborough is one of the smallest populated Football League clubs.
Its name comes from a local church, Holy Trinity, whose vicar, the Reverend George Hodgkinson, started the team Trinity Recreationists, another attempt to keep to local males out of the pubs?
They were founder members of the Midland League in 1889 and elected to the Football League in 1896, to Division 2, which was four years old. In 1905 they finished at their highest league position 6th and bottom (20th) in 1912 when they were not re-elected.
Trinity applied to rejoin the FLeague three times, especially in 1921 when Division Three North and South were started, but to no avail and they tried again in 1975-6.
The club was a founder member of the Northern Premier League in 1968, played in the Conference North from 2003 and reached a Play-off final in 2012.
As a part time club, with small resources, playing in a league where some clubs are "full time", Trinity struggles. It is a club with some famous names behind it, such as Neil Warnock (who began here as manager), Leighton James, Brian Little and now Lee Sinnott in charge. Their largest crowd was in 1998 when Newton Heath (Manchester United) turned up to help celebrate Trinity's 125th anniversary.
On the other hand, Chesterfield FC, the Spireites, were relegated this week and here is some sympathy to calm the furrowed brow and something to look forward to.
If you are a fan this video will be worth sticking in the "scrapbook".https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/chesterfield-fc/video-where-did-it-go-wrong-on-the-pitch-for-chesterfield-1-9131979
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